


Thy Smile Be Lost to Sight

by Mara



Category: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, Kamen Rider Kuuga
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2016-12-09
Packaged: 2018-09-07 11:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8798353
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: Captain Marvelous likes curry, but he hates being disturbed while eating curry.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [estelraca](https://archiveofourown.org/users/estelraca/gifts).



Marvelous hadn't noticed the little curry place down a side street, even though he was fairly sure he'd walked by there before. But the wind was just right that afternoon and he got a whiff of something that smelled amazing.

He immediately turned on his heel and followed the smell. There were some questions from the crew, but as soon as they smelled it, they understood where he was going. (They knew their captain, after all, and knew it was best to not get between him and food.)

"Welcome," the man behind the counter called out as they came through the door. The restaurant had a few customers, none of whom even bothered to look up. "What can I get you?"

"A bowl of whatever I'm smelling," Marvelous said, thumping into a seat at the counter. Joe settled beside him and the others found places nearby, ordering the same.

Giving them a broad smile and a thumbs-up, the man scooped rice and the heavenly smelling curry into bowls and served all of them. "You need anything else, let me know. My name is Godai."

Marvelous was barely listening to the man as he listened for any signs that their meal would be interrupted. He'd gotten very touchy about his curry since the day they had come to Earth. When he didn't hear any signs of attack, he stopped hunching over his bowl and picked up the spoon, slurping some in.

Mouth half-full, he paused. Godai peered at him. "Is there a problem?"

Shaking his head, Marvelous swallowed. "It's very good," he said gruffly. Unpracticed in compliments he might be, but he knew good food when he ate it. And this was excellent.

Broadly smiling, Godai said, "I'm so glad you like it. I got the recipe from—"

The entire crew plus their host turned as one at a yelp from the farthest corner of the restaurant, where a scowling man was holding the wrist of the woman across from him. Her face was creased in pain and Marvelous could see where the bruises were going to be as she struggled to get away. Marvelous was already rising from his seat as Godai broke off what he was saying and was instantly out from behind the counter. He was…fast, Marvelous thought with a corner of his brain.

"I'll have to ask you to let go," Godai said, his voice still sounding cheerful and pleasant as he stood next to the man.

Rolling his eyes, Marvelous came around a table to stand behind him. Gods, this Godai person was going to get hurt, which was not allowed if he could make curry like this. Why couldn't he ever just eat in peace?

"Shut up!" the man roared at Godai. Letting go of the woman, he half-stood and swung a meaty and clearly experienced fist at Godai. Marvelous was just a step too far away to stop the punch and prepared himself to catch Godai as he was flung backward.

This left Marvelous off-balance as Godai, rather than being flung backward, stayed exactly where he was. Godai had _caught the man's fist_ and was holding it. 

Marvelous felt this situation required further evaluation and he took a step to the side, noting that Godai now looked…sad. And tired.

"What the—" the man said, staring at where his fist was imprisoned. He tried to pull back, but to no avail. Godai didn't budge.

"You will leave now." With a twist on the man's arm, Godai maneuvered him past Marvelous toward the door. He let go, turning back toward the woman, who was frozen, staring at all of them. "Miss, is there somewhere you can go?"

Marvelous glanced at Joe, seeing he was exactly where he would want him, and nodded. When the man took a step toward Godai's unprotected back, roaring out his anger, Joe was there. His punch dropped the man in his tracks instantly.

Without turning, Godai said, "Please don't leave him to litter the restaurant. The owner wouldn't like that."

Luka jumped up, helping Joe drag the man out onto the street. Marvelous left them to it and turned to see Godai scribbling some names and numbers on a napkin for the woman. With a shrug, he went back to his curry. Which wasn't hot any longer, but still excellent. 

The few other patrons murmured, but they didn't seem to require his attention, so he focused on eating before he was interrupted again. He vaguely noted the woman leaving after thanking Godai effusively.

"That was very well done," Ahim said to Godai as he passed her table. Marvelous wasn't looking, but he could hear the approving smile in her voice.

"I don't like bullies. And I…well, I try to protect people's smiles."

Marvelous couldn't help snorting.

"Captain!" Ahim protested, probably knowing what was coming. She did know him well, after all.

"It's naïve," he said to her. "Can't help that."

"Naïve?" Godai didn't sound angry, just curious.

Marvelous didn't look up as the other man sat down next to him on the customer's side of the counter. He could feel Joe tense and signaled him to stand down. If this strange man had wanted to hurt them, there were plenty of things he could have done before this. "Protecting smiles is ridiculous. Can't be done."

"Is that so?" Now the man had the temerity to sound amused.

Marvelous didn't bother hating a lot of things, but being laughed at was one of them. He looked up from his curry, prepared to be angry, but Godai wasn't even looking at him. He was staring off into space, a smile hovering on his lips. "What?" Marvelous barked.

"Hmm?" Godai looked at him. "Oh! You're not the first person to say that."

Marvelous wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of asking.

"Who else said it?" Luka asked from a table. Marvelous glared at her and she shrugged.

Godai turned in his seat, smiling. "My…partner, for one. But we did it anyway."

Marvelous could see Doc biting his lip. "Did what?" Doc blurted out.

"Stopped the Unidentified Lifeforms," Godai said softly.

There was a poignant silence in which Marvelous was sure they were supposed to be impressed. "The…who?" Joe asked finally.

Godai's attention came back from wherever it had been and he blinked. "It's been over a decade, but I didn't expect them to be forgotten."

Shrugging, Marvelous scooped up more curry. "We weren't on the planet then. Just got here recently."

"Really?" Godai almost bounced in his seat. "That's fascinating! Where did you come from?"

Marvelous kept eating as Ahim gave the simplest version of their origins and then asked him to explain the Unidentified Lifeforms.

"How did you stop them?" Doc asked.

Marvelous was absolutely not listening. He was concentrating on his food.

"It's sort of complicated." Godai scratched his head. "I was given this power—"

Marvelous' head shot up and he felt his crew come to attention as well. "Power?"

Godai looked around. Then he patted his stomach and for a moment, they could see the outline of some kind of belt, which faded away. "It's inside me. It let me fight."

Putting down the spoon, Marvelous squinted. "Inside you?" He squirmed at the thought, but it was a power and the man was certainly stronger than he looked.

Godai met Marvelous' eyes and smiled. "It's part of me."

"So there's no way we can…borrow it?" Luka asked.

Godai didn't look away from Marvelous. "No."

Shrugging, Marvelous went back to his food. If it could be stolen, Luka would figure it out. 

"I do what I can against the Zangyack," Godai said quietly. "But it's not my battle to fight."

"Not ours either," Marvelous mumbled. "They just keep getting in our way."

"Mmm."

Marvelous shot him an annoyed glance and ate the last of his curry. "If we can't use your power, you're of no use to us." Ahim murmured something under her breath and Doc's facepalm was easy to hear, but Marvelous ignored them with the ease of long practice.

Godai didn't look annoyed, smiling that enormous smile instead. "I might be of assistance in different ways. I do have some experience with fighting monsters, after all."

Marvelous dropped money on the table and stood.

"I also have some experience in how to avoid becoming a monster," Godai said.

Marvelous did not look at the other man, but he could feel the others bristling on his behalf. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Please do. Come back any time." 

With a gesture, he gathered his crew. There was a small chuckle behind him and he couldn't help turning this time. "What?"

Godai looked at all of them, his smile broadening (even though that had seemed impossible moments ago). "You might not need me, though. It looks like you have plenty of help in not becoming a monster."

\--end--


End file.
